Here are a few useful tips to help make your meditation practices work for you.
Meditation is a great practice to use to cope with stress, anxiety or fatigue and help you manage your mental wellbeing. It clears your mind of all internal mind chatter, and assist in helping you feel calm, and balanced.
However, there are still some that report that they struggle with mediation and even worst stop, because they are not seeing the results that they expected and feel it is not working.
For meditation to be beneficial there are a few things you should implement to ensure that you are reaping the best possible benefits from it.
Remove distractions
Before you start to meditate, make sure you that you find a quiet place that you will not be disturbed. If there are others in the house that may come in to the room, then speak with them in advance and let them know that you would like up to 20mins to meditate undisturbed.
If the meditation is not coming from your phone then switch your phone on to silent or aeroplane mode, better still consider leaving your phone in another room. You want to be able to meditate without the expectancy of any form of distraction.
Consistency is the key
Consistency in your mindfulness routine lies at the heart of a mindful way of living. Without having a daily routine, you may struggle to be mindful in many aspects of your life. Choosing a preferred time of day and sticking to it will help you in becoming consistent.
Don’t stop meditating
Don’t stop meditating as soon and as you feel you have gotten over your immediate stressor and you are in a better place mentally. To remain in that good place, it is recommended that you give yourself at least 5-10 mins every day that is solely for you to meditate.
Affirmations embed into your consciousness
While meditating consider using an affirmation that will help you set your intentions for day. For example, you may want to use affirmations such as “Today I will make good choices because they are made with full awareness”. By using an affirmation this will help you set your intention for the way you want to think and feel for the day. It is also useful to also to do this when you are feeling distracted in your meditation.
To be mindful is not to judge yourself
You may be struggling to meditate because you are doing everything to blank your mind. However, those rigid rules that you are placing on yourself is not what is meant by being mindful. Any thoughts of ‘must’, ‘should’ or ‘ought’ are the signs of rigid rules that you have laid in your mind. These rules will not serve you any purpose and will prevent you from not only ‘being’ but also ‘accepting’ yourself the way you are.
Like with anything, meditation takes consistent practice, there is no need to judge yourself if you don't feel you are doing it correctly as there is no right or wrong.
Instead, treat meditation as simply your daily dose of vitamins, to see you feeling calm and balanced throughout the day.
Remember life is one big journey, so it is important to enjoy the journey along the way.
